No skincare product lives and dies by a single ingredient. Even a boatload of great-sounding ingredients sometimes isn’t enough. Effectiveness depends on so many factors in the overall formulation, which is something I have to remind myself of every time I go starry-eyed over some exciting star ingredient or nice-looking ingredients list. Luckily for my wallet, the starry-eyed phase of my relationship with astaxanthin ended pretty early on, thanks to CHICA Y CHICO Astazet 4.0.
(more…)
Fifty Shades of Snail
Finding the best skin care products since 2014. Started with a focus on Korean skincare and grew from there. Skincare tips and beauty tips that work, maybe some hamster butts too
recent posts
- Protected: Fluorescent bulbs and SPF
- How I Grew My Thinning Hair Back Thicker and Stronger Than Ever Before (with no drugs or medical treatments)
- Sponsored: The Best of Skin1004
- How to Ask for Skincare Advice Online, Part Two: What Questions to Ask to Get Helpful Answers
- How to Ask for Skincare Advice Online, Part 1: What Not to Ask
about
-
-
This product was provided for review at my request by W2Beauty. All opinions and recommendations in this post are my own unless otherwise noted. Learn more about my rules for store partnerships by checking out my sponsorship policy and sponsor list.
“Anti-aging.” What even does that mean?
No, but seriously. We see it in skincare marketing all the time, and we know the implication: it will stop my aging or maybe even reverse it. Because if it’s anti-aging, then it’s the opposite of aging!
When you look more closely, though, “anti-aging” as a term is really…pretty meaningless. As a cosmetic claim, how do you prove that something, uh, anti-ages? And the same thing goes for “anti-wrinkle.” It’s just not a specific enough claim to take seriously.
On the other hand, I don’t hold empty marketing claims against the potentially good skincare products that wear them. Brands have to move product somehow, and if they’ve found they can do so more easily using terms like “anti-aging,” then that’s what they’re going to do. It doesn’t necessarily mean the product itself isn’t of value. I think I’ve said this before, but my enjoyment of skincare has increased greatly since I stopped paying attention to most packaging claims. (Unless they have to do with fancy water, but even then I’m not always susceptible. Take that, Laneige! You’ll not get any of my money again!)
Anyway, it’s my openness to giving products a shot even if their packaging flashes some pretty silly buzzwords that led me to the subject of today’s review, Graymelin Astastemcell Anti-Wrinkle Serum. Also, my own staunch anti-aging ideology. I am, at least when it comes to my skin, very much opposed to aging.
-
Slap on a sheet mask and plug in your headphones, because the Snailcast is here!
-
Real talk: Ever since I got into skincare, traveling has been one hell of a challenge. Here’s the thing. I love travel, even air travel, even air travel in coach with multiple layovers! I like going places! But uhhh…shoehorning even “just the necessities” (LOL) of my skincare wardrobe into a carry-on while leaving room for other things would be impossible even if TSA liquid restrictions weren’t in play. I’ve got a laziness block against doing lots of decanting and labeling (and also my pretty bottles are part of my overall skincare experience, sue me). And packing everything into a checked bag? I dunno about that. It’s not so much that I’m a cheapass who doesn’t really want to check bags if I can avoid it, though that is a factor, so much as it is my fear of the very real possibility that my checked bag might get lost with all my skincare stuff in it for God knows how long and I can’t have that.
I know. I’m difficult. I bet I’m not the only one who’s had these thoughts, though.
-
Guys, I’ve added a new step to my skincare routine! And I know you may be wondering, Where do you even have room for a new step? or maybe Do you really need another step? Well, the answer to the second is up for debate, but I wouldn’t be here blogging about it if it hadn’t made some difference to me.
-
Some products featured in this post were provided by Beautibi, which is currently giving $5 credit to new customers who create an account using my referral link. All opinions and recommendations in this post are my own. Learn more about my rules for store partnerships by checking out my sponsorship policy and sponsor list.
Christmas is less than two weeks away! Do you have all your gifts bought and wrapped and ready to go? Yeah? Good for you. Go have a cookie. But if you’re like me and in the throes of OH SHIT WHAT AM I GIVING TO AUNT SASSY AND COUSIN SALTY AND THE FAMILY DENTIST AND EVERYONE AT WORK holiday panic, however, read on. Maybe my Christmas gifting strategy will give you some ideas.
-
Some products in this post were provided for review by Fifty Shades of Snail sponsors and are individually disclosed below. All opinions and recommendations in this post are my own unless otherwise noted. Learn more about my rules for store partnerships by checking out my sponsorship policy and sponsor list.
Let’s do something a little different today! I recently got some feedback from a reader who wanted to hear more about the products that have left me cold. She had a great point. You guys have heard plenty about the products I love, and I have no problem talking about why I hate the products I hate, but between those two extremes lies a whole universe of things that aren’t holy grail material (at least not for me), but aren’t horrible, either.
The reason I don’t publish a lot of reviews in the 2/5 – 4/5 rating range is pretty simple, and Snow White and the Asian Pear explained why perfectly when she presented her own “meh” list: products that are neither amazing nor godawful are boring. Boring to use, boring to write about, and, I worry, boring to read about, too. That’s why I’ve been putting this off. But then I read Snow’s latest post, the one about taking control of one’s stash, and I realized I’ve got some long-overdue review queue purging to do. So let’s get down to it! Here are the good, the bad, and the blah about five products that failed to make me fall in love, from my most liked to my least.
-
Man. Time sure flies when you’re taking your fine lines and sunspots to church with actives so powerful that only licensed medical professionals can provide them.
I’m now in my third month on Curology prescription skincare. I’ve gone from 0.012% to 0.02% to 0.05% tretinoin, one bottle at a time (with the first, weakest prescription being a 10ml introductory size). Enough time has passed since the company’s rebranding that I now almost always think of it as Curology, not as PocketDerm. Three months really isn’t that long, though, and tretinoin (and pretty much any other skincare active) takes time to show its full effects. That’s why I’m beyond elated that I can see as much improvement now as I do. Like seriously, Curology? You da best.
-
You ever have one of those moments where you realize you’ve neglected something that should have come naturally to you and you just feel like you’ve let yourself down in a huge and major way? I was finalizing some things with my Memebox US box curation contact tonight when I realized that they’ve been carrying my favorite products from a brand I really like, Tosowoong, for a little while now without me announcing it here!
(more…) -
The product featured in this post was provided for review at my request by Jolse. Learn more about my rules for PR samples and sponsorships by checking out my sponsorship policy and sponsor list. Affiliate links in this post are marked with an asterisk(*).
You guys, my two-year nightmare is over! I finally found a cleansing oil that I truly, absolutely, wholeheartedly love!
Fifty Shades of Snail 